Research

Comparison of "Self-portrait № 1" (on the left) and "Self-portrait № 2" (on the right). Young people of about the same age (15 - 20 years old, Caucasian type) are represented in both works of Leonardo da Vinci: "Self-portrait № 1" and "Self-portrait № 2". In spite of the fact that the positions of their heads (an inclination and turn) are different, the visually presented people possess typical similarity and there are enough signs of appearance which are subject to comparison.

Leonardo da Vinci's "Self-portrait № 2" (on the left) and Leonardo da Vinci’s “Ecce Homo” (on the right) are presented for research. In the first painting a young man, about 15-20 years old, is depicted. In the second one – a middle aged man, about 30-35 years old, is represented against the dark background. In these images, the turn of the head is identical, with a different tilted angle of the head forward, and a different direction of look.

The image of a bust is specific and notable for its incompleteness and less accurate portrayal of appearance than the face in the icon. Nevertheless, the faces are in the same plane with an identical turn of the head and a small difference in head tilt (on the bust the head is tilted back for 3-5º). A comparison of the appearances in the presented works can be made by visually contrasting those signs which are suitable for comparison.

People of about the same age (middle age, 35-45 years), are depicted with different tilt and turn of their heads in these paintings. For visual comparison of the presented people, the image on the right was rotated to the left (21º), both images were brought to approximately the same size (it isn't possible to accurately measure a 19 mm distance between their pupils because of different gaze directions), and discoloured. The expression on the face of the icon is not a typical portrait, but a grotesque portrayal of a person.

The peculiarity of this comparison is in the fact that a subjective portrayal of the person in the painting is compared to the image on the bust, whose material cannot display a rather large number of signs of appearance, or represents them with less accuracy, than the painting. However, considering the detailed elaboration of the marble bust and a small difference in the angle of the presented objects in this case it is possible to apply the method of visual comparison, the method of comparison of relative sizes, as well as combining by the medial line.

In this research elements of a person's appearance displayed in the profile of the face were studied. In the images provided below the forehead, the nose, the nasal bridge and lips act as the main elements of appearance. These features can be compared from this angle using the methods of visual comparison. The images were brought to the identical size of the faces and discoloured.

On the photograph of the painting there is an area with a partially readable hand-written text in Latin letters. The comparative analysis was carried out on the mirror reflection of this hand-written text in the photograph of the area of the painting.

Young women about 15-20 years old with a smiling expression on their faces and different tilt and turn of their heads are depicted in Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Mother's portrait" № 1 and Francesco Melzi's painting "Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci's mother” № 2.

Women with the same position of the body (left semi-profile), a smiling facial expression and with visually noticeable age difference are represented in the paintings.

A comparative research of appearance of the people represented in the given images with account for the angle and the features of the images, was carried out using the method of visual comparisonas well as combining by the medial line.

"Self-portrait № 1" and Leonardo da Vinci's portrait created by an unknown artist are presented for the research. The people are depicted with small deviations in position of the head, in "Self-portrait № 1" the head is tilted backwards.

There is an age difference of approximately 10 years or more between the people in the paintings, which is indicated by the presence of glabellar lines, more prominent wrinkles and folds in the second image and also the presence of a beard.